Dear Editor,
In finalizing my travel arrangements to New York, USA to complete my February 2012 New York State Bar Examination, I foolishly opted to give EZjet a try. What a mistake this turned out to be. This will be the first, of a series of articles, written for the benefit of my fellow Guyanese brothers and sisters to put them on notice of the disgraceful business practices of EZjet Air.
The time had finally come, or so I thought, that Guyanese could finally choose an airline with reasonable airfare rates. Guyanese, for as long as I can remember, have been paying ridiculous fares due to the monopolies and/or a lack of a competition from other respectable airlines. I was so happy for my Guyanese brothers and sisters. EZjet had finally answered Guyana’s long cry for affordable fares—or so I thought.
There are no hidden or added on fees, the airfares really are reasonably priced in comparison to other airlines. The problem arises however, not due to airfares, but rather, the disgraceful and unprofessional manner through which EZjet operates and treats its Guyanese passengers. Take a look at the facts. During EZjet’s relatively short tenure it has managed to cancel many of its flights from their originally scheduled dates and times. This only sets the stage for describing how EZjet engages in disgraceful business practices.
Far beyond merely cancelling and rescheduling its flights, EZjet, unlike any and all reputable, professional airlines, does not put its passengers on any reasonable notice of its intention to cancel its flights. Rather, as myself, my mother, and countless others have learned, EZjet lets you come to the airport at your scheduled time, checks your baggage in, takes your luggage from your possession to be placed on the airline, makes you go through security checkpoints for boarding and then, after on average of six to ten hours of making you wait, without informing you of the possibility of flight cancellation, abruptly and suddenly cancels the flight. What is even more disgraceful is that evidence indicates that EZjet representatives in fact know that the flight will be cancelled at the time they are checking in their passengers.
Funny enough, after cancelling the flight 6-10 hours after check in, any and all EZjet representatives vacate the airport and are otherwise totally and wholly unavailable to speak to its disgruntled passengers. They are not available whatsoever, just ask the passengers on the cancelled flight of March 4, 2012, rescheduled for March 5, 2012, from JFK to Guyana.
This is especially concerning. How could a newly formed airline treat us Guyanese like animals? We deserve, as all other passengers around the world enjoy, the same professionalism and the same respect given to all such others. What makes us Guyanese deserve to be treated with such disregard, what makes us undeserving of basic human decency from the airline we choose? Do we not deserve to be notified so we do not undergo unnecessary costs and expenses, in terms of money, time, and effort?
To make matters even worse, after the flight is cancelled, EZjet must now return to its passengers their luggage. Even this process is laughable and disgraceful. I watched, observed and even relayed my concern to EZjet officials as I watched their luggage handlers and carriers recklessly, wantonly and grossly negligently toss luggage onto conveyor belts as if each piece of luggage was worthless. When the luggage comes around the conveyor belts, us Guyanese passengers are restricted to a certain zone, not even having the ability to go less than 50 feet outside such zone to purchase a luggage cart to move our luggage. We are even observed by Police and Customs officials who refuse to assist us in conveniently removing our luggage, which was caused by EZjet’s abrupt and sudden cancellation of its flight 8 hours after checking us in.
As I mentioned before, this is just the first of several articles I will write to highlight EZjet Air’s disgraceful and shameful business practices. My fellow Guyanese brothers and sisters, although I know many of you will be tempted, and justifiably so, to try out EZjet, in order to save some money, let this article serve as a warning of what is to be anticipated. My abovementioned observations are not limited to one single instance, but rather, have occurred several times. I pray for a time when my fellow Guyanese can enjoy reasonable air-fare rates, especially since much of our families are abroad, but this cannot be at the expense of our human decency. I prefer to pay Caribbean Airlines the additional US $250-300.
EZjet will fly no more, very soon (my estimate: 3-6 months tops), and I will be there the day it happens to wave goodbye. Shame on you EZjet, we deserve better.
Yours faithfully,
Cheddi Berret Jagan II, Esq.
Editor’s note: A copy of this letter has been sent to EZjet for any comment it may wish to make.
